Well, I guess the “October Surprise” many of us suspected was going
to happen soon has finally come to pass. We learned Thursday night that
Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush was arrested for
driving under the influence of alcohol in 1976 — nearly a quarter
century ago.

This revelation — that has absolutely no relevance to the current
presidential campaign — was leaked to the press by a Democratic lawyer
named Tom Connolly, a lawyer from Portland, Maine, who attended the
Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles earlier this year and was
a failed gubernatorial candidate two years ago.

This type of political scheme is what has become widely known as “the
politics of personal destruction.” The Democrats have brought it to an
art form by incessantly calling out the attack dogs on their political
opponents and those who dared challenge the Clinton-Gore machine.

However, I believe this latest political assault will backfire in the
faces of the Democrats because George W. Bush’s life — for the past 24
years — has been exemplary.

In a press interview yesterday morning, I said, we Baptists call this
a great testimony — a DUI 24 years ago … met and married a sweet
Christian girl the next year … Billy Graham led him to Christ shortly
thereafter … at age 40, became a teetotaler and hasn’t had a drink
since … served two terms as governor of our second-largest state …
and today, continues to read his Bible and pray with his beloved family.

Bottom line: George W. Bush is the perfect candidate not only for
the highest political office in our land, but also for the role of
deacon or Sunday School teacher, or driver of the church van. In other
words, I trust him because his life noticeably and dramatically changed
after he was converted.

Mr. Bush had forthrightly told the nation that he had a drinking
problem in his younger years. However, for the sake of his twin girls
emulating his behavior, he decided not to detail publicly this incident.

On that night, 24 years ago, he was spotted by a police officer
because he was “driving so slowly.” He tried to pull no strings. He
paid his fine. He was courteous to everyone and surrendered his Maine
driving privileges.

He didn’t drive off a bridge and kill an innocent young woman. He
didn’t conduct a lurid sexual affair with a young intern and
subsequently lie to the nation and a court of law about it. He didn’t
knowingly attend a fund-raising event in a Buddhist temple and then
proclaim there was no fund-raising going on.

Furthermore, Mr. Bush was not a habitual user of illegal drugs —
like Al Gore, as depicted by Newsweek reporter Bill Turque in his
investigative biography, “Inventing Al Gore.” Following the release of
that book, the liberal mainstream press collectively yawned, ignoring
the substantial charges that Mr. Gore frequently smoked marijuana — up
until his first congressional campaign in 1976.

Where were the microphones in Al Gore’s face when these allegations
were released in a heralded book? Even if the press had cornered Mr.
Gore on his drug use, you can bet the farm he would not have stood up
like a man — like George W. Bush did — and said, “I was wrong.”

Neither Al Gore nor Bill Clinton has any idea of what it takes to be
a man.

What will be the end result of this action? I believe a stink is now
attached to Al Gore that will follow him into our nation’s voting booths
on Nov. 7. Polls will probably remain constant, in Mr. Bush’s favor, or
even climb slightly over this weekend.

I remain fully confident that the majority of our fellow Americans
are sick and tired of the political dirty tricks, deceitful tactics,
unethical behavior and sexual immorality that the Clinton-Gore
administration dragged into our White House.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who called this nothing more than “the
last gasp” of the Gore campaign, was absolutely right. Al Gore is a
desperate man. He knows the presidency he has longed for has ultimately
escaped him.